A balky knee is the latest setback for ailing San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt, who was just working up to speed after losing time to a hyper-extended knee during the summer.
Belt has done very little to reclaim his sharp form from earlier in the season, posting a .163/.226/.209 triple slash in 93 plate appearances since returning in mid-August. A 44% strikeout rate in September has Belt seeming rather lost at the dish, but he's made quality contact when he does put bat to ball, stroking 43.8% hard hits and 25% liners over the last two weeks.
MRIs on Belt's knee came back clean, so we should see Belt take his usual spot at the heart of the Giants lineup against righties. The 30-year-old will have beatable starters to square up against this week, and with a FanDuel salary hovering near $3,000, Belt makes for an interesting contrarian play against the likes of Bryan Mitchell, John Gant, and Adam Wainwright.